Vertically aligned liquid crystal display with improved viewing characteristics

Abstract

A vertically aligned type liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal layer disposed between a plurality of pixel electrodes and a common electrode and containing vertically aligned liquid crystal molecules, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules being controlled by electric field. An orientation control window is formed in the common electrode. A distance Wp between adjacent pixel electrodes and/or a width Ws of the orientation control window is selected so as to satisfy Wp≧d/2 and/or Ws≧d/2, where d is a distance (or a cell gap) between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode. Viewing angle is widened and a viewing angle characteristic is improved, and abnormal orientation or grittiness of an image is eliminated.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A vertically aligned type liquid crystal display, comprising: a vertically aligned liquid crystal layer disposed between a plurality of pixel electrodes and a common electrode, the orientation of said liquid crystal layer being controlled by an electric field, the pixel electrode and/or the common electrode having an orientation control window which divides the liquid crystal into a plurality of orientation sections to broaden the viewing angle, 
       wherein a relationship between a gap d formed between each of said plurality of pixel electrodes and said common electrode and a separation distance Wp between said individual pixel electrodes satisfies  
       
         
             Wp≧d/ 2,  
         
       
       wherein said common electrode has an orientation control window in an area corresponding to each of said plurality of pixel electrodes, and 
       wherein a ratio of vertical to horizontal length of each of said plurality of pixel electrodes is equal to or more than 2.  
     
     
       2. The liquid crystal display according to  claim 1 , wherein 
       said orientation control window is in the form of a slit which extends along a longer edge of said pixel electrode in an area corresponding to the center part of said pixel electrode, and forks at both longitudinal ends of said pixel electrode toward areas corresponding to corner sections of said pixel electrode.  
     
     
       3. A vertically aligned type liquid crystal display, comprising: 
       a vertically aligned liquid crystal layer disposed between a plurality of pixel electrodes and a common electrode, the orientation of said liquid crystal layer being controlled by electric field,  
       said common electrode having an orientation control window in an area corresponding to each of said plurality of pixel electrodes, wherein the orientation control windows divides the liquid crystal into a plurality of orientation sections to broaden the viewing angle,  
       wherein a relationship between a gap d formed between each of said plurality of pixel electrodes and said common electrode and a separation distance Wp between said individual pixel electrodes and a width Ws of said orientation control window satisfies  
       
         
             Wp≧d/ 2 and Ws≧d/2,  
         
       
       and wherein a ratio of vertical to horizontal length of each of said plurality of pixel electrodes is equal to or more than 2. 
     
     
       4. The liquid crystal display according to  claim 3 , wherein 
       said orientation control window is in the form of a slit which extends along a longer edge of said pixel electrode in an area corresponding to the center part of said pixel electrode, and forks at both longitudinal ends of said pixel electrode toward areas corresponding to corner sections of said pixel electrode.  
     
     
       5. A vertically aligned type liquid crystal display, comprising: 
       a vertically aligned liquid crystal layer disposed between a plurality of pixel electrodes and a common electrode, the orientation of said liquid crystal layer being controlled by an electric field, the pixel electrode and/or the common electrode having an orientation divider which divides the liquid crystal into a plurality of orientation sections through an interaction with an end portion of the pixel electrode to broaden the viewing angle,  
       wherein a relationship between a gap d formed between each of said plurality of pixel electrodes and said common electrode and a separation distance Wp between said individual pixel electrodes satisfies  
       
         
             Wp≧d/ 2,  
         
       
       wherein said common electrode has the orientation divider in an area corresponding to each of said plurality of pixel electrodes, and 
       wherein a ratio of vertical to horizontal length of each of said plurality of pixel electrodes is equal to or more than 2.